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Bill Clinton hospitalized following chest 'discomfort,' gets stents

February 11, 2010 By 1 Comment
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From John King, CNN February 11, 2010 5:24 p.m. EST Clinton's hospitalization comes more than five years after he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Clinton's hospitalization comes more than five years after he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Two stents put in coronary artery after Clinton felt chest discomfort, office says * Former president "is in good spirits," statement says * Clinton had quadruple bypass operation in 2004 RELATED TOPICS * Bill Clinton (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized Thursday in New York, where he underwent a procedure to insert two stents into one of his coronary arteries after experiencing chest pain, his office said. Clinton, 63, "was admitted to the Columbia Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital after feeling discomfort in his chest," said Douglas Band, counselor to the former president, in a written statement. The hospital confirmed that Clinton was admitted Thursday. "President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts," Band's statement said. The White House was told of the situation, a source close to the former president told CNN. A stent is a tiny tube that is inserted into a narrowed or blocked vessel to open it up and allow blood to travel through, according to CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta. Clinton underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 at New York-Presbyterian. Doctors in 2005 removed scar tissue and fluid that had built up following that surgery. In recent weeks, Clinton was overseeing the United Nations aid mission in Haiti after a earthquake struck there on January 12. UPDATED - STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Clinton to stay in hospital overnight for observation, former DNC chairman says * Source: Former president "is fine," will recuperate * Two stents put in coronary artery after Bill Clinton felt chest discomfort, office says * Former president had quadruple bypass operation in 2004 New York (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton was in good spirits Thursday after undergoing a procedure to insert two stents into one of his coronary arteries, his office said. Clinton, 63, was hospitalized at the Columbia campus of New York-Presbyterian Hospital after experiencing discomfort in his chest, according to Douglas Band, counselor to the former president. Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman, said Band told him Clinton will be kept overnight for observation. A source close to the former president said "he is fine" and will recuperate. A stent is a tiny tube that is inserted into a narrowed or blocked vessel to open it up and allow blood to travel through, according to CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta. Video: Bill Clinton in hospital Video: Statement on Bill Clinton's health Video: Clinton's medical history RELATED TOPICS * Bill Clinton * Health and Fitness * New … [Read more...]

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Inspired by Mandela's 'stubborn sense of fairness'

February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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By John Stremlau, Special to CNN February 11, 2010 1:07 p.m. EST tzleft.john.stremlau.courtesy.jpg STORY HIGHLIGHTS * John Stremlau: 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was released from Cape Town jail * Stremlau: After 27 years, Mandela emerged "without bitterness, his humanity intact" * Mandela maintains commitment to democracy, freedom and rule of law, he writes * Mandela is inspiration in troubled nation that desperately needs it, Stremlau says Editor's note: John Stremlau is vice president of peace programs at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. Stremlau has lived and taught in South Africa. Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Freedom lovers everywhere over a certain age recall the thrilling news 20 years ago today that Nelson Mandela had been released from a Cape Town, South Africa, jail. After 27 years of isolation and hard labor, the world's most famous political prisoner emerged without bitterness, his humanity intact. When asked what he most missed while in prison, Mandela replied that it was hearing the sounds of children laughing. Now 92 and frail, Mandela has declined to participate in this week's many celebrations in his honor except one: the opening of Parliament and the address to the nation by South African President Jacob Zuma. As with all things political in this young and often raucous democracy, politicians and pundits are debating whether Mandela should have skipped this event as well. Zuma's last admission of personal misconduct, fathering his 20th child out of wedlock with the daughter of close friend, has become a national scandal and international embarrassment. Gallery: Nelson Mandela: 20 years of freedom RELATED TOPICS * Nelson Mandela * South African Politics * Jacob Zuma * HIV and AIDS Just two years ago, he confessed to having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive family friend, who then accused him of rape. In a country coping with one of the world's highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, and with a strong official commitment to gender equality, many of Mandela's most fervent admirers don't want him seen anywhere near Zuma. But Mandela went to jail not to demonstrate personal virtue but in a commitment to freedom, equality and the rule of law, which his appearance in Parliament reaffirms. Zuma is the duly elected president of a nation defined by strict allegiance to a democratic constitution. Zuma has respected the rule of law and shows no inclination to use his huge parliamentary majority to rewrite the constitution for political advantage. When Mandela was president, he defied his political advisers and voluntarily appeared before a magistrate so a claim of defamation against him could be adjudicated under due process, available to all citizens. Mandela expects no less from his successors; nor should we. Preventing abuses of power whether by a privileged … [Read more...]

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Toyota and Tiger Woods: Kindred spirits

February 11, 2010 By 1 Comment
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NEW YORK (Fortune) -- The question is being raised more and more: Can Toyota recover its reputation? There is no simple answer. The automaker once enjoyed exceptional renown. In addition to being the largest and most profitable auto company on the planet, Toyota was the most studied and copied. Its production system became a benchmark and a model for competitors to emulate around the world. * Facebook * Digg * Twitter * Buzz Up! * Email * Print * Comment on this story On top of that, Toyota (TM) was known for always putting the customer first, hence its passion for building cars with the highest quality and reliability. The automaker obsessively studied car buyers to find out what they wanted and then provided it for them. It became a leader in new vehicle segments like crossovers, and new technologies like gas-electric hybrids. But when a crisis arose in the form of complaints about unintended acceleration, Toyota didn't know what to do. Rather than make a forthright statement about the problem, its history, and its proposed solution, the automaker responded with obfuscation, delay, blame-shifting, and denial. Not until last August, when a Lexus driven by an off-duty California highway patrolman rolled over and burst into flames, killing the driver and three members of his family, did the issue reach widespread public awareness. And when the time came to apportion responsibility for the incident and outline a new direction for the company, top Japanese executives were nowhere to be seen. When president Akio Toyoda first came forward to take responsibility and promise solutions, he seemed to do so with reluctance. Toyota trouble round-up: What to do now Compare that to the Tiger Woods scandal. Like Toyota, Woods had a reputation for excellence that far exceeded other golfers. Like Toyota, Woods was widely emulated for his faultless behavior and superb sportsmanship. Like Toyota, Woods initially put out a story about his wife, a golf club, and the shattered windows of his SUV that bore little relation to reality. Like Toyota, the news about Woods' missteps was allowed to trickle out day by day without being effectively refuted. Like Toyota, Woods refused to make a public appearance to apologize for his misdeeds (and still hasn't), preferring to issue press releases instead. And like Toyota, Woods promised to mend his ways, without offering any convincing evidence of exactly how he will do that. Just as Toyota has seen sales crumble and its used car values plummet, Woods has been abandoned by his corporate sponsors and shunned by other golfers. Does this mean that Tiger and Toyota have seen their reputations permanently destroyed? Witnessed the domination of their respective enterprises ended? Are about to be permanently consigned to the ranks of the disgraced and the second-rate? The betting here is that the answer to all three questions is "no." Tiger Woods remains one of the best golfers in history, and … [Read more...]

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Suicide bomber strikes U.S. base

February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Five U.S. soldiers wounded in base's "sleeping area" * Suicide bomber struck about 9 p.m.; unclear how he got on base * Preliminary investigations show the attacker wore an Afghan border police uniform, a Paktia province spokesman said Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Five U.S. soldiers were wounded Thursday when a suicide bomber attacked a U.S. base, an Afghan official told CNN. The attacker detonated the bomb about 9 p.m. while in the "sleeping area" on the base, said Paktia province spokesman Roullah Samoun. It is unclear how the bomber got onto the base, but preliminary investigations show the attacker wore an Afghan border police uniform, Samoun said. The International Security Assistance Force said in a statement that "several ISAF service members from the United States were injured" in an explosion on their base in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province. ISAF did not confirm that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber. There was no immediate word from ISAF on the extent of the damage caused. … [Read more...]

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Iranians rally to mark revolution

February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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People gather at Tehran's Azadi square Thousands of pro-government Iranians are rallying to mark the 31st anniversary of the nation's revolution. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the rally to attack the West, and said Iran had produced its first stock of 20% enriched uranium. Opposition leaders are trying to mount counter-demonstrations, but are facing a huge security crackdown. It is the most important day in Iran's political calendar. The government has warned protests will be dealt with. We are closely watching the sedition movement, and several people preparing to disrupt the rallies were arrested Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam Police chief US expands Iran Guards sanctions More sanctions on way for Iran? The new cyber battlefield in Iran In pictures: Iran revolution rallies Iranians: revolution anniversary BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says it could be the largest confrontation since the disputed election last June, and the government and opposition have chosen to make the day a huge trial of strength. Official events are being held across Iran, but the main gathering is at Tehran's Azadi Square. State TV showed tens of thousands of people filling the streets. Mr Ahmadinejad told the crowds Iran was now a "nuclear state" and would soon treble output of 20% enriched uranium. He added that Western countries were hampering genuine reform in Iran. Our correspondent says the government is very nervous about the opposition demonstrations, but it is also very confident of its own support and has drawn a good crowd. 'Tear gas and shots' Meanwhile, reports from the micro-blogging site Twitter and pro-opposition websites said opposition supporters were holding rallies, one of them in the city's Saddeqiya Street. Amateur footage purportedly showing opposition protests has been appearing on the video-sharing website YouTube, including at least one rally in the Tehran underground. Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi had been intending to attend the Saddeqiya street rally, reports say, but his bodyguards were attacked by members of the government's Basij militia as he emerged from his car. His son was arrested as he tried to intervene. The reformist former President Mohammad Khatami was also reportedly attacked. His brother Mohammed Reza Khatami and his wife Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, were arrested but later released. Other opposition sources said security forces had fired shots and tear gas at supporters of Mir-Hossein Moussavi, Mr Ahmadinejad's main rival in last June's elections. Advertisement Protesters thought to be near Saddeqiya Square in Tehran - This video, posted on YouTube, has not been verified by the BBC There are also reports of opposition protests in the cities of Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan. Anti-government websites urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed election on 12 June last … [Read more...]

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Google Buzz? More Like Buzz Kill

February 11, 2010 By 3 Comments
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Daniel Lyons R. Galbraith / Reuters-Landov Google co-founder Sergey Brin at the unveiling of Google Buzz God bless those hard-working techies in Silicon Valley for inventing this constant stream of things that serve mostly to make me feel guilty because I don’t want to use them even though everyone else says they’re the greatest thing ever. First came Facebook, which I joined but rarely use, and now has become just one more e-mail inbox that I need to check once in a while. Then came Twitter, which is mostly pointless, since I really don’t care what anyone else is doing at any particular moment and have no desire to tell others what I’m doing either, but again I joined, mostly because if I didn’t get on Twitter I’d look like someone who doesn’t “get it,” as they say in the Valley, and in my line of work that’s a bad reputation to have. Next came Facebook games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille, and again I joined so I could see what the big deal was, only to find that the big deal was, well, not such a big deal, and I never used them because who has time to play online games, but now every time I go to Facebook I get bombarded with messages informing me that someone I don’t know has sent me an energy pack, and in general Facebook is becoming so overwhelmed with spam and useless junk that the noise-to-signal ratio is about 100 to 1. Then came Google Wave, and again I signed up, but as far as I can tell nobody is actually using Google Wave, mostly because nobody can figure out what it does or how it works, so that it exists only as a catnip toy for new media wanker-pundits who love it because it gives them something to blather on about, plus it provides them with yet another weapon in their arsenal of things that can be used to make lesser folks, like me, feel yet more guilty and left behind.?? And now, ta-da, comes Google Buzz, announced yesterday, and I swear to God I just want to start screaming. What is it? Apparently it is Gmail on steroids. Basically, Google has copied stuff that people do on Facebook and Twitter and added them to Gmail, so that now my e-mail can become another place where I can network socially with my social network of people I don’t really even know. I can (but won't) share pictures and status updates with people in my Gmail contacts list, and they can (and, sadly, will, unless I can prevent them) start doing the same to me. Google's promo video, complete with the requisite cutesy drawings and happy music and groovy-guy voice-over, was intended to make it all sound perfectly simple but instead had me reaching for the Xanax. Good grief. ??Why, Google? Why take a perfectly wonderful e-mail system and pollute it by adding a zillion new things to it? I’m not looking for more clutter in my life. I’m looking for less. At the launch event some Google exec claimed Buzz is a way to “find the signal in the social networking noise,” but to me it looks like Google is just adding to the noise.?? Why does … [Read more...]

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The Screaming O Makes CBS 'Sunday Morning' News Show

February 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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LOS ANGELES — The Screaming O, nominated for three awards at tonight’s 2010 XBIZ Awards, appeared on CBS Sunday Morning with the cast of Oxygen’s “The Bad Girls Club” testing their skills as Screaming O cheerleaders, short skirts and all. Clips from a special episode of "The Bad Girls Club" lent support to the episode of "Sunday Morning" devoted to society’s obsession with outrageous reality TV, and featured the show’s stars wearing The Screaming O cheerleading gear and dancing around the company’s booth at ANE. “Reality TV is the only marketing tool of its kind that can bring our beloved brand into the homes of millions of viewers every episode,” The Screaming O partner Keith Caggiano said. “People look to The Screaming O to add fun, sexy and cool spice to their love lives, and reality TV appearances like ‘The Bad Girls Club’ and our recent ‘Leave it to Lamas’ plug on E! Entertainment help promote that positive message.” This season of “The Bad Girls Club” features a stylish Screaming O-branded sex toy vending machine designed with rotating shelves offering a collection of goodies, including The Screaming O's full line of cockrings, mini vibes and fun toys. “The Bad Girls Club” broke network records with its Dec. 15 episode being the most-watched non-finale telecast in the channel's history. More than 1.4 million viewers tuned in, with 1.025 million in the 18-49 demographic — the consumer demo that The Screaming O appeals to. The Screaming O is nominated in three categories — Marketing Campaign of the Year, Sexual Enhancement Product Manufacturer of the Year, and Sex Toy Manufacturer of the Year — at tonight’s 2010 XBIZ Awards in Hollywood, Calif. The Screaming O took home XBIZ’s 2009 Adult Toy Manufacturer of the Year. The company also won StorErotica Magazine's 2007 Innovator of the Year award, and its flagship product, the Screaming O Vibrating Ring, was named Best Product of 2008 by Women's Health Magazine. Additionally, the BigO vibrating erection band was named “Top Pick” by renowned sex educator Dr. Sue Johanson, host of the Oxygen network's popular “Talk Sex With Sue.” … [Read more...]

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Get Back In The Game

February 11, 2010 By 2 Comments
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So, you've dumped her. Or she's dumped you. Either way, once you find yourself single, thoughts soon come around to meeting other women. But getting back in the game, especially after a long-term relationship, can be daunting. The first steps back in the world of dating should not to be taken lightly. You shouldn't attempt to bed new women to take revenge on your ex, whether it's to lure her back with jealousy or as a way to get over her. You should do it because you're a single guy and that's what single guys do. It goes without saying that you have to be completely over your ex before you get back into the game. Women will immediately pick up on it if you're using them to distract yourself or numb the pain. Exactly how long it will take to reach this stage varies: Some will find themselves cruising around the local pickup spots the very next weekend, while others may find it takes months before they can even look at another woman. No matter what, it's worth the wait because the single life rules. Cheer up then gear up Immediately after the breakup, you're going to be miserable. Somehow you'll be bringing every conversation around to her, you’ll find yourself planning how to get her back and generally lamenting the fact that everyone else is happy while you are in hell. Approaching other women with all this going on is definitely a bad idea. Women can smell depression and desperation a mile off, and the scent is not appealing to them. You might think a one-night stand or even a new relationship is a good way to get over her, but the inevitable rejection will batter your confidence and make you feel 10 times worse. Instead of dwelling on your ex and the relationship, remember the good side of being single: all those late nights with the boys, the freedom to do what you want when you want and, most importantly, with whom you want. When you stop thinking that there's something missing from your life and start to relish the idea of being single, then it's time to start bedding other women. If you're honest, you’ll admit that there were times when you were with your ex that you envied those who were single. Well, start smiling again because now you're one of them... Take a look around It's time to celebrate. You've mourned the death of your relationship and now you need to toast the birth of the single you. What is called for is a one-night tour of everything you've been missing while you were in the relationship. Gather your friends. After listening to your moaning, they'll be almost as eager as you are for a big night out. Explain that, in one night, you aim to seek out everything that you couldn't do before. Take in a bar crawl, drop a few bets on the dogs and enjoy a strip club or two. How to meet women in bars and other places... The point isn't to hook up with women. We've already noted that desperation is a major turnoff. The night is for the boys doing boy things. It marks you stepping out of the world of relationships and being welcomed … [Read more...]

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